Travel by foot, horse, cart, buggy, car, plane, and spaceship. What's next?

How best to make characters move around the world? The chase scene from "The Fellowship of the Ring" is a great example of characters travelling with purpose and excitement. To me, every part of a story should progress the main plot in some way, even if it's just to get the audience to understand the personalities of the characters. Travel is a way to do that, and the methods of travel range from walking through space travel and beyond.

I love spaceships especially, and the neat whiz-bang of the Star Wars universe, or even the techno-babble of Star Trek. It's fun, delightful, and a pretty neat guess at future technology. But, walking pales in comparison, which is probably why it isn't used very much. It's hard enough to describe someone trudging along, while moving the plot forward, and making it interesting at the same time. Not that it's impossible, just hard.

One really neat method of travel came from the old movie, "Tron." Two words: Light Cycles. I'd be really surprised to find a single person aware of the film that hasn't dreamed of riding on the grid, making square turns, and leaving behind a light-wall trail out to the horizon. Used like that, travel is engaging and fun to witness, even if it's only reading about it and not watching it.

Techniques like teleportation ignore the concept of travel altogether. But, it's also somehow boring (aside from the wicked concept of zapping yourself to another place). I can't wait to see what waits for us as technology grows and changes. *Poof* I'm there... *Poof* I'm here... *Poof* I'm gone...

- M

Friends. The world is a better place with them in it.

Friendships are the glue that binds us all together. Without friends, the world is a very lonely place. It's interesting to realize how much impact we have on each other, especially without even knowing it. I suppose it's fair to say that without friends, the world would cease to be a nice place. We touch one another in such unique ways that the overall impact is profound. It's the same within the boundaries of a story. Friends are important.

I'm not actually talking here about sidekicks--though sidekicks are often friends, but I place sidekicks in a special class all their own. Friends to the main characters push and pull, give options, expose the truth, and sometimes give advice--good and bad. With such dynamic movements happening all over, the characters come alive and grow. It's important to see how the characters respond, and lets the audience guess at the outcomes. All that causes participation in the story, from every side of the experience.

Even more, friends demonstrate the quality of the people they are around. That's a life lesson for us all actually. I've often heard it said that you can measure a person by the friends they have. While not completely accurate, it certainly does give a feel and direction. Within a story, the audience will guess the worth of the main characters through their friends--at least, at the beginning for sure. It's a great tool, and I love seeing it used well.

- M

Godzilla, the movie monster everyone knows, is reborn in a new movie!

I see the great Godzilla is becoming a movie sensation again. The trailer for it looks interesting, understated, and certainly seems awesome. I love that they aren't showing the monster very much, aside from the back and head through heavy smoke. But, there's a huge sense of atmosphere from such a short teaser trailer, and that's impressive. I'll be looking forward to seeing it in theatres, on my television, and having fun with it for years to come.

Godzilla has gone through lots of variations, from the old rubber suits, to bigger rubber suits, and computer graphics. It's difficult to imagine something so huge moving around, and I'm sure the technical difficulties of visualizing it make it much harder. However, with Pacific Rim showing how impressive huge robots and monsters are, it seems the movie world is ready to create a really awesome Godzilla movie. If the trailer is any indication, this movie is spot on.

The funny thing about Godzilla, is that the monster is generally the hero. Sure, there's lots of destruction, but in the old movies it was Godzilla doing the protecting rather than destruction. I've never quite understood how the change happened, but it makes Godzilla a favorite of mine, as it is both creature of destruction and hope. Weird monster. I suppose part of its charm is that the creature isn't fully understood. It's a conflicted monster, if that's possible. Walking awesomeness, that fires nuclear beams from its mouth and stomps cities flat. I love Godzilla!

- M

Daydream a little, it's good for you.

Why is it that adults tell kids to stop daydreaming? Is it a bad thing? No. Although, I will admit that anything in excess is, well, excessive. Still, what is so bad about sitting back and letting your mind wander? It's a marvelously relaxing activity, and a treasure trove of ideas. I especially enjoy tossing around a few elements and watching as my imagination turns things topsy turvey. It's fun.

One aspect of adult life that gives me the chills is how we stop playing make believe. It's almost a right of passage, where we "grow up" and stop being silly kids. That's really the basis for the story of Peter Pan, and the world of Neverland seems like a long daydream. There, kids never grow up and play pirates all day long. I suppose I'm being goofy, but that doesn't seem all too bad to me.

Whatever your reasons, I think there's a very good place in life for letting your mind off its reins and enjoying the outcomes, whatever they are. Even adults can use some good dreamtime. The funny thing is, the actual content of daydreaming doesn't seem to matter. The act alone expands imagination, loosens the mind, and inspires--all without being obvious to anyone watching. I'd even say that without a little bit of solid daydreaming, the brain drains away, gets stiff and stops trying. We need our imagination to find novel solutions to everyday problems. Why give up anything so useful?

- M

Losing to success. Wait, what?

Last time I talked about success not being permanent, but there's another facet as well. Many stories deal with what happens to characters who fail, mess up, or generally lack success. It might begin with it, or end that way, but in some way or another the characters need to deal with it. I'll wager that this concept is pretty understandable to us all, especially when we are struggling. Also, seeing a movie where someone succeeds after failing, or curling up with a book and following a drunken loss pull themselves back from the brink, is heart-warming and uplifting.

What really matters is how the audience gets sucked into the plight of the characters. There are few more relatable concepts than someone not succeeding in their endeavors. Of course, that's my opinion, but so much of what we do is based on the measure of success or failure. And there's a real thrill to see someone, anyone, make it through to the other side of the mud pit of despair. Or, fall from great success and into the pit... not so much a thrill, but no less compelling.

The most interesting aspect to me is how characters deal with their failures. It demonstrates character, or their lack of it. More so, it involves the audience in the entire atmosphere of what's going on. Plus, it creates an arc for the characters, and that's always a good thing. To see characters progress from, for example, innocence to maturity is good storytelling and fun. I really do believe we appreciate seeing people change, and maybe grow in the process. Although, it probably doesn't need to be a good change, since there is definitely a place for stuff going all upside down.

- M

p.s. Did I mention Disney making my favorite villain into a full blown movie? "Maleficent." Check out the movie trailers.

Success! At least for the time being...

It's actually pretty funny how often in stories the big bad thingie doesn't stay gone/defeated. At least, the success isn't complete, or permanent. Stories such as The Hobbit, or The Lord of the Rings, are somewhat unusual, because the evil is completely defeated at the end--no hope of it returning at all. My guess is that most authors leave the success as temporary because it allows for further development in the future, or because it's basically how the world works around us and we can understand that as an audience.

Perhaps this happens more in the darker genres (such as horror), but it is a common theme. As a writer myself, I love to play with themes like this because it sometimes spawns stories through the process. Mostly, I'm guessing that stories where the success is in doubt succeeds because people as a whole aren't all that sure that good really did win out. Life has few assurances, so there's a lot of resonance there, and it also feeds on the need we all have to know for sure.

At the same time, I personally love seeing whoever I'm rooting for succeed in what they are doing. If it's a dancer wanting to become a ballerina, I want to see them make it to the very top, or if it's a coal miner's kid wanting to build rockets, then by golly I want to see them do it! I'm an eternal optimist, and I do sincerely look for stories that are hopeful and don't get me down. In the end, though, all I really care about is a good story that captures my imagination and pulls me through the pages, or screen, into a world that is rich and full. May the best win!

- M

Forecasting the future; at least best guessing the future.

Science Fiction has an amazing track record of predicting future technology. H.G. Wells famously predicted submarines, airplanes, and even parachutes. Naturally, he got other things wrong, but then nobody is perfect. Wells wasn't the only fiction writer to make predictions though, and I find it remarkable how often writers have gotten it right.

There is a technique called "extrapolation," where you take something that you know and guess at the future. The technique is especially valuable in business, where they make educated guesses about future business, but is also used by writers to invent future stuff. Of course, it isn't restricted to technology and business, and can work well for cultures and whatever else you want to play with. I enjoy taking ideas for whole worlds and extrapolating out what sorts of creatures would make the place their home, and what sort of ecosystem would surround them. It's a neat mental exercise, and I think improves the imagination.

When I was a kid, there was all sorts of talk about 21st century technology. In DisneyWorld's Epcot Center there was (and probably still is) a large display of future tech. Sadly, most of it hasn't come true, though some has (like wireless technology). I'm still waiting on those incredible flying cars though. It'll be interesting to see how accurate our guesses were in 20 years.

- M

Addiction, and characters dealing with it

I'm sure we all have had contact with addiction, either someone we know or ourselves. It's a powerful thing, especially if it is actively being battled. There is a television show I guiltily enjoy, "House." It's about a genius doctor, who has very little concern for the cares of others, who deals with the pain in his leg through pain medicine addiction (well, at least that was in the first few seasons, I'm not current sadly). That addiction nearly defined his character, even more so than his brilliant medical mind.

Giving a character an addiction isn't taken lightly. It's so powerful, such a rampaging monster, that if not handled carefully it can dominate the story and run away from the plot. I'd guess that any writer placing this motivator inside a story does so with a quivering hand. Amazingly, nearly anything can become addictive behavior (or at least overly needy behavior), so there is virtually no limit what you can include. Naturally, the most common are drugs of some sort.

If the story goes along far enough, there is one thing the audience will anticipate: that the character will face the addiction full force. It's a form of resolution. What will the character do? Will Jekyll win, or Hyde? Will the addict give in entirely, or put up a fight? Or, will they simply turn away and ignore it again? In the show, "House," that subject is the subject of several episodes, and even ends up with him in an institution--locked away until he's conquered it.

Anytime I see a show, or read a book, with addiction, I do perk up. I think we can all empathize, and we want to see what happens. Should it always end in victory? Maybe not, but my guess in this arena is that people prefer to see heroes.

- M

Winter Olympics, go for the gold!

Go, go, Winter Olympics! I absolutely love the Winter Olympics, and this is apparently the most expensively produced Olympics yet. My favorite sport is downhill racing, probably because I grew up in Austria (well, not grew up, but spent the first nearly 8 years of my life there). It's always a fun time to witness the Olympics, and I wish all the participants a good competition.

It's actually pretty amazing that this singular event has continued for so long, tying the entire world together in the spirit of competition. The athletes know they are ambassadors for their countries, and behave in a manner that dignifies everything their countries stand for. I love it. This year there is also a team from Jamaica, doing the bobsled event (just like the movie, Cool Runnings). I'm always impressed with the extent of participation from throughout the world, and I hope it continues on and on and on.

The opening ceremony was an amazing spectacle, as always, and I especially appreciated the new technology that allowed such incredible visuals to be displayed on the floor of the arena. I'm impressed that so much effort went into it, and that it basically all worked correctly (aside from the oops with the Olympic Rings, but I think we can all agree that mishaps happen). This will be a great time for the athletes, and I pray for their health and good fortunes. Let the games begin!

- M

Detective Columbo, one of the great detectives in modern history

I love a good mystery, especially when I know more than the detective (or, at least I think I do). There are all sorts of mystery plots, but it generally revolves around murder and mayhem. The thing I enjoy about the show "Columbo" is that the mayhem is pretty short and generally not even shown (no blood, no decapitations). However, there is great care given to covering up the mayhem, and we get to see all the preparations as the audience, so we think we know it all. Well, mostly everything.

Columbo methodically goes through the facts, stretching and thinking outside the box, as he follows the trail left by the villain. There are amazing leaps in logic, but usually they are specifically tied to incredible observations and not anything unseen. The writers did a great job of layering pieces in every episode where it actually is possible to see where the villain goofed up. Typically it's something very small, seemingly insignificant. And, that's the joy of the show.

The part I love the most about Columbo is trying to guess when he has zeroed in on the suspect and knows, but can't yet prove the deed. I've been watching the shows again, and I'll admit I'm mystified more often than not. It's impressive how hard it is to guess at the detective's knowledge, despite watching nearly everything he does. Still, at the end I get a very satisfied feeling with how everything happens (unlike some mysteries where I feel scammed because I don't have all the facts to even make a guess at the killer). To make years of mystery shows and consistently give audiences puzzles where they think they know all the answers, yet are surprised anyway, is very impressive. The writing brainstorming sessions must have been filled with shouts and yelling; I wish I could've been there.

If you have a chance, check out the show. It's well worth your time. Oh, and did I mention you always know who did it? Amazing.

- M

Movie/book review: Pacific Rim

Like most never-grow-ups, I love giant monsters and giant robots. Pacific Rim is a movie with both. I also bought the novelization, and I'll say that the movie and book go hand-in-hand. The book contains the full story (told in normal fashion, but interspersed with newspaper clips and dossiers) which the movie doesn't quite fully contain. The movie doesn't leave any questions unanswered; the book simply answers more.

Pacific Rim is incredibly entertaining. The monsters are spectacular, the robots each have a personality, and the story is quick moving. Naturally, it's all hopeless at the beginning, yet the soldiers carry on, finally coming up with "the plan." It all works, and it's wonderful to watch. I won't go into the story overmuch, but I will say that it does offer up some nice surprises towards the end. Perhaps because I'm a scientist at heart, but the nerdy guys are a lot of fun and have great chemistry together. There are plenty of fights, where the monsters and robots go at each other. It kind of reminds me of Top Gun, with hotshot pilots, and even a love interest. All together, the movie is a total blast and I highly recommend it.

I hope that movies like this are proof that the pendulum in Hollywood is swinging, and that fun for the sake of fun is back in style. I sure hope so, because they've taken themselves far too seriously. We mostly go to movies for entertainment, and movies such as Pacific Rim fill that desire well. I look forward to more stories like it, not necessarily campy but foolish in a good way. Now, everyone go out and check it over!

- M